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Mike Gillis is the new “Mad Mike”

I was very excited to wake up today, not just because it is Canada Day, but also because it is free agent day in the NHL. I had to make sure that I was actually awake when I saw that the Vancouver Canucks under new GM Mike Gillis have apparently offered Mats Sundin a 2-year deal worth $20 million dollars. I am not sure exactly how bonuses factor into the salary cap, but I do know that they definitely count against the cap, just maybe not all at once. Regardless, the Canucks have about $20 million in cap space, and they are trying to blow half of that on Mats Sundin.

Sundin is a good player, no longer great, but still very good. Look at his numbers lately though, he has about the same production as Daniel Sedin. If the Canucks are able to get David Backes on the offer sheet they signed him to, and Sundin signs with them, they would have about $7.5 million left to spend. The Canucks need more than just Mats Sundin and David Backes to turn this team into a real contender.

I think extending the offer sheet to David Backes was a smart move on Gillis’ part. The Mats Sundin offer is completely crazy though. Sundin is a point per game player who is a better setup guy than a goal scorer. The Canucks do not really have anyone to play with Sundin unless they think that Kyle Wellwood will have a complete turn around this season.

I hope that Sundin rejects the Canucks offer (I think that Sundin would much rather stay on the East Coast). What the offer to Sundin could do is show other free agents that the Canucks are very serious about bringing in some new people. Maybe more people will listen to the Canucks after seeing the big offer that they made to Sundin. If Sundin does accept the Canucks offer then forget about contending seriously for the next two years. There are too many holes on the team this year, and the Sedins are only under contract for one more season. The Sundin money is the money that would be needed to resign the Sedins. Maybe Gillis is planning on making some trades if Sundin signs with the Canucks. We can only hope that Mike Gillis has a detailed plan for the team, because if he does not, Vancouver Canucks fans could be in a for a rocky couple of years.